Machine Shop Shift Leader

The Machine Shop Shift Supervisor is responsible for leading and coordinating all shop‑floor activities during their assigned shift. This role ensures that production targets are met safely, efficiently, and to the required quality standards. The supervisor provides day‑to‑day leadership to a team of machine operators, time and attendance adherence, supports problem‑solving, and maintains effective communication with management and other departments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational Leadership: Oversee all machining, production, and workflow activities during the shift. Monitor job progress, machine utilisation, and production output. Ensure accurate shift handover to opposing shift leader, highlighting issues and outstanding actions.
• People Management: Conduct return‑to‑work interviews and performance reviews. Manage attendance, breaks, weekly overtime management and shift cover. Support training and onboarding of new operatives.
• Quality & Compliance: Ensure all work is completed to engineering drawings, customer specifications, and internal standards. Conduct or verify in-process quality checks and ensure correct documentation is created and maintained – where required. Identify, escalate, and help contain non-conformances. Support root-cause analysis and corrective actions when required.
• Health, Safety & Environmental: Enforce safe working practices and ensure compliance with all HSE policies. Create and conduct routine safety inspections (machine guards, PPE, housekeeping). Report near misses, hazards, and incidents promptly. Ensure waste disposal, coolant handling, and material movement follow environmental standards. Ensure fire marshalling and first-aid cover adherence.
• Machine & Resource Coordination: Ensure machines, tooling, gauges, and materials are available before work starts. Support basic troubleshooting and problem-solving on machines if competent. Maintain stock levels of consumables and request replenishment when necessary.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead or contribute to improvement projects in areas such as productivity, quality, and waste reduction. Embody a culture of 5S, teamwork, and operational excellence. Identify opportunities to streamline processes or improve workflow. Weekly reports to highlight improvements from shift team.

Required Essential Skills:

• Track record of working closely with Manufacturing cells, planning, suppliers and quality departments.
• Experience of using problem solving techniques.
• A strong track record of delivering quality based solutions for customers.
• Good time management with a track record of delivering product on time.
• Strong IT skills, Microsoft Office, Word and Excel at Intermediate level.
• Team player, proactively drive a team ethos.
• Self-motivated and takes ownership with a proactive approach with the ability to work independently, maintaining team communication.
• Handles pressure well, with a flexible approach to work and a willingness to learn and develop.
• Has experience of running continuous improvement projects.
• Has experience in driving down production costs.

Desirable Skills:

• Knowledge of Lean, 5S, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with ERP/MRP production systems.
• Basic capability to adjust or troubleshoot CNC Milling and turning machines.

Required Personal Attributes:

• Honesty/Integrity: Does not cut corners ethically. Earns trust and maintains confidence. Does what is right. Speaks plainly and truthfully. Follow through on commitments – Lives up to verbal and written agreements, regardless of personal costs.
• Attention to detail: Does not let important details slip through the cracks or derail a project.
• Flexibility/adaptability: Adjusts quickly to change priority and conditions. Copes effectively with complexity and change.
• Enthusiasm: Exhibits passion and excitement over work. Has a can-do attitude.
• Work Ethic: Possess a strong willingness to work hard and sometimes long hours to get the job done. Has a track record of working hard.
• High standards: Expects personal performance to be nothing short of the best.
• Listening skills: Lets others speak and seeks to understand their viewpoints.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and articulately without being over verbose or talkative.
• Teamwork: Reaches out to peers and cooperates with managers to establish overall collaborative working relationship.

What Taylor Hobson offers you:

• A fun, relaxed and supportive working environment.
• 1pm Friday finish.
• Competitive salary and 25 days holiday including Christmas.
• Fantastic and supportive onboarding to ensure joiners are well integrated and comfortable at Taylor Hobson.
• Generous matched pension scheme.
• Life assurance.
• Option to join private health plan.
• Enhanced maternity pay.
• We are invested in developing your skills and will promote and encourage progression through the business.
• Mentoring and guidance for accreditation.
• Opportunity to get involved with charity and fundraising, which we are passionate about.
• Sports and Social Club – fun events and activities throughout the year including Christmas party.
• Perkbox – our rewards app offering discounts from a multitude of retailers, a GP service and a 24-hour Employee Assistance Program to ensure the health and wellbeing of our employees.
• On-site mental health first aiders.
• Employee referral scheme of £1000.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• An inclusive workforce.
• Free onsite parking, electric charging points and easy access to the city centre.

Business Unit: Established in 1886, Taylor Hobson is the world leader in surface and form metrology and developed the first Roundness and Surface Finish measuring instruments. We provide contact and non-contact measurement solutions for the most demanding applications on a global basis, with a worldwide infrastructure to support our clients; we are a truly global ultra-precision metrology company. We are pioneers, continually developing our products to meet the ever-increasing demands of next generation technologies, particularly in Optics, Bearings, Space, Defence, Aerospace, Automotive, Medical and Renewable Energy technologies. Taylor Hobson's world leading brands include: Talyrond®, Form Talysurf® PGI, Form Talysurf® i-Series, Surtronic®, LUPHOScan, Formalysurf® PGI Optics, Talyvel®, Autocollimators, Micro-Alignment Telescope and AMECare. Taylor Hobson is part of the Ultra Precision Technologies Division of AMETEK, Inc. which is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices.